Monday, January 13, 2014

Christie Vetoes Trans Bill

While New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie
(R) navigates scandals about blocked bridges and misused hurricane-relief funds, he’s continuing
to conduct business as usual, and on Monday that included vetoing a bill that
would make it easier for transgender people to obtain amended birth
certificates. Assembly Bill 4097, passed by the legislature in
recent months, would allow trans people to change their gender identification
without undergoing gender reassignment surgery.

Not all trans people elect to have
such surgery, especially because it means sacrificing reproductive ability, and
others face financial hurdles in order to obtain it. Under A4097, a health care
provider could confirm that an individual was transitioning and that alone
would allow them to update all of their documentation. According to Christie’s veto statement, the bill doesn’t
maintain “appropriate safeguards”:

A birth certificate is an important
legal document. In many instances, the production of a birth certificate is a
prerequisite to obtaining other critical identification documents that factor
into decisions concerning employment, financial services, education, and
travel. Birth certificates are often required to complete myriad
security-related tasks. Accordingly, proposed measures that revise the
standards for the issuance of amended birth certificates may result in
significant legal uncertainties and create opportunities for fraud, deception,
and abuse, and should therefore be closely scrutinized and sparingly approved.